Manchester United and Denmark full-back Patrick Dorgu has revealed the meaning of his Nigerian name and why it holds significant meaning for him.
The 20-year-old was Ruben Amorim’s first signing since he took over the coaching reins at Old Trafford in November 2024.
Although he achieved a lifelong dream by joining the three-time UEFA Champions League winners, Dorgu hasn’t had it easy in United, as he’s constantly come under scrutiny for his indecisiveness in the final third during games.
Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nigerian parents, the former Lecce man has maintained his Nigerian roots, despite choosing to play for the Danish Dynamites internationally.
After joining Manchester United, he made an important request to officially acknowledge his Nigerian heritage by incorporating his middle name, Chinazaekpere, into his details.
Recently, in a local church, the blistering full-back discussed his beliefs and shared the meaning of his Igbo name, a sect of Nigerians located in the south-eastern part of the country.
“Chinazaekpere means ‘God answers prayers. That’s what my parents gave to me when I was born,” the former Nordsjælland FC man said in quotes revealed by Manchester United’s official website.
“Religion means a lot to me; it’s always been a big part of my life and my family’s.
“I’ve always been praying since I was young, and I keep praying.
“Family and the community are what I’ve grown up with in Denmark, so it’s good to try and maintain it here [Manchester] too.
“I come to pray at this church on Sunday if I have the time and we don’t have a game; I try to be here as much as I can,” Dorgu continued.
Quizzed if his prayers give him and his teammates an edge whenever they play against their opponents, the 1.85m tall defender said:
“I don’t know if it [religion] has an advantage [on the pitch]. It’s about always believing, believing that God has a plan for me, and for my career.
“United is a massive club, I knew it would be a great opportunity, and I always think that God has a plan for everything.
“The fact that United were the only team in for me in January meant, for me, it has to be here.
“I’ve had ups and downs. It’s just about always believing in myself and believing that I can always get better by getting top moments on the pitch.
“It’s about learning from my mistakes. It’s about me always giving my best and giving the best side of me,” Dorgu concluded.
Since Ruben Amorim took over the coaching reins from Erik Ten Hag at Manchester United, the Red Devils have yet to win consecutive Premier League games.

Arsenal came into this season on the back of a busy summer transfer window where they spent around £250m and brought in eight players to propel another push for the Premier League title.
As they swept aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 with five of those new signings starting, the Gunners showed why such aggressive recruitment was justified.
Mikel Arteta’s side were without key trio Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and William Saliba through injury, while skipper Martin Odegaard limped off in only the 18th minute.
But it mattered little as Arsenal showed their strength in depth to cruise to an impressive success.
Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi were their statement signings and likely to start regardless of the opposition.
But with Declan Rice named as a substitute, manager Arteta has ripped up his tier system for this campaign, where he had a number of players who were guaranteed starters and expected to play most of the games.
And despite their injury troubles, Arsenal have won three of their first four league games and are yet to concede a goal from open play.

Chef Hilda Baci is giving away the massive amount of jollof rice left over from her Guinness World Record attempt for the largest pot of jollof rice.
The event, held at Eko Hotel in Lagos, on Friday, produced thousands of kilograms of rice, and despite packaging and distribution efforts, there’s still a significant amount available.
Hilda has invited Lagos residents to come and collect the food, encouraging them to bring containers or coolers to take home.
She assured that the food is well-prepared and abundant and is committed to ensuring none of it goes to waste.
In a video message, she stated that she would remain at the venue until the giant pot is emptied, stressing that everyone in Lagos is welcome to partake in the meal.
She said: “We’re still packaging food. There is still so much food. Please, you guys, come through and come and get the food. It’s a lot and we cannot waste it. Please, the food is good. I promise you, a trial will convince you. Just come through, you can bring your coolers. See, we still have so much food.
“Even with all the packaging, there is still so much food. Please, I beg you, you guys, you can come to Eko Hotel. This is 6 a.m. I’m not leaving this place.
“I’ve been here since the day before yesterday. And I’m not going to leave this place until this pot is empty and until everybody in Lagos has eaten from this food. So, please, you people should come and get this food.”
Her team has already started distributing food to road users in Lagos and she’s urging everyone to come and collect some.